Thera 14.2: Godatta
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(245):Godatta Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter XIV. Fourteen Verses =245. Godatta= Reborn in this Buddha-age at Sāvatthī, in a family of caravan-leaders, he was named Godatta. After his father's death he arranged his estate, and taking 500 carts full of wares travelled about, maintaining himself by trading. One day an ox fell on the road while drawing its cart, and his men could not raise it, so he himself went and beat 282 it severely. Then the ox, incensed at his ruthlessness, assumed a human voice and said: 'Godatta, this long time have I unreservedly given my strength to draw your burdens, but to-day when I was unable and fell, you hurt me badly. Well then! Wherever from now on you are reborn, may I be there as your enemy able to hurt you!' Godatta was thrilled at hearing this, and thought: 'What do I in this way of life who have thus hurt living things?' And he divested himself of all his property, and took orders under a certain great Thera, in due course attaining arahantship(enlightenment). Now one day as he was in the bliss of fruition, he discoursed to Ariyan groups, both lay and religious, on worldly wisdom:1 ---- 659 Yathā'pi bhaddo ājañño dhure yutto dhurāsaho,|| Mathito atibhārena saɱyugaɱ nātivattati.|| || 660 Evaɱ paññāya ye tittā samuddo vārinā yathā,|| Na pare atimaññanti ariyadhammo'va pāṇinaɱ.|| || 661 Kāle 68 kālavasaɱ pattā bhavābhavavasaɱ gatā,|| Narā dukkhaɱ nigacchanti tedha socanti mānavā.|| || 662 Unnatā sukhadhammena dukkhadhammena conatā,|| Dvayena bālāhaññanti yathābhūtaɱ adassino.|| || 663 Ye ca dukkhe sukhasmiɱ ca majjhasibbanimaccagū|| Ṭhitā te indakhīlo'va na te unnataonatā.|| || 664 Naheva lābhe nālābhe ayase na ca kittiyā,|| Na nindāyaɱ pasaɱsāya na te dukkhe sukhamhi ca.|| || 665 Sabbattha te na lippanti udabindūva pokkhare,|| Sabbattha sukhitā dhīrā sabbattha aparājitā.|| || 666 Dhammena ca alābho yo yo ca lābho adhammiko,|| Alābho dhammiko seyye yaɱ ve lābho adhammiko.|| || 667 Yaso ca appabuddhīnaɱ viññūnaɱ ayaso ca yo,|| Ayaso'va seyyo viññūnaɱ na yaso appabuddhinaɱ.|| || 668 Dummedhehi pasaɱsā ca miññūhi garahā ca yā,|| Garahā'va seyyo viññūhi yaɱ ce bālapasaɱsanā.|| || 669 Sukhaɱ ca kāmamayikaɱ dukkhaɱ ca pavivekiyaɱ,|| Paviveka1 dukkhaɱ seyyo yaɱ ce kāmamayaɱ sukhaɱ.|| || 670 Jīvitaɱ ca adhammena dhammena maraṇaɱ ca yaɱ,|| Maraṇaɱ dhammikaɱ seyyo yaɱ ce jīve adhammikaɱ.|| || 671 Kāmakopappahīnā ye santacittā bhavābhave,|| Caranti loke asitā natthi tesaɱ piyāppiyaɱ.|| || 672 Bhāvayitvāna bojjhaŋge indriyāni balāni ca,|| Pappuyya paramaɱ santiɱ parinibbantyanāsavā'ti. || || ---- 659 Even as the mettled brute of noble breed, Yoked to his load, drawing his load along, Though worn by burden past his powers, unfair, Breaks not away, revolting from his bonds, 660 So they in whom, as water in the sea, Wisdom abounds, despise not other men; This among creatures is the Ariyan rule.2 661 Living in time, come beneath the power of time; Subject to dread concerning future life,3 Men go their ways to pain and misery, Yes, here below the sons of men do mourn. 662 Elated by some pleasant happening,and by sorrow Depressed, the fools are overcome to and fro,4 Who nothing as it really is can see. 663 But they who can escape the weaver of nets, fell5 between pain and pleasure holding Middle Way, 283 They stand as any pillar at the gate. Neither elated they, nor yet depressed. 664 For not to gain or loss, to honour, fame, To praise or blame, to pleasure or to pain - 665 Wherever it be - do they take hold and cling, No more than drop of dew to lotus-leaf. Hale and serene are winners everywhere, And everywhere unconquered to win.6 666 Of him who rightly seeks and nothing did gain, And him who gains but seeks wrongfully, Better is he who rightly sought and lost Than he who gained by methods that were wrong. 667 Of them who have repute, but scanty dower Of wit, and them who know, but lack repute, Better the wrise men who do lack repute Than great repute and men of little wit. 668 Of praises by the unintelligent, And blame and criticism by the wise, Better the criticism of the intelligent Than are the commendations of a fool. 669 The pleasure born of sensuous desire, The pain that comes from life detached, austere, Better the pain that comes from life austere Than pleasure born of sensuous desire. 670 To live by wrong; for doing right to die, Better it was thus to die than so to live. 671 They who have put off sense-desire and wrath, Peace in their heart regarding life to come,7 They walk the world from lust and craving free; Likes and dislikes are not for such as these. 672 The factors of enlightenment, the powers, These have they studied and the forces too. So winning perfect peace, as fires extinguished(Nirvana), They wholly pass away, sane and immune. ---- 1 Lokadhammā. 2 It is interesting to contrast the protest of the Indian ox with that of the Hebrew ass of Balak. According to the Commentary, the gist of the 'Ariyan rule' is the sporting maxim that, whether we do or do not congratulate ourselves on our successes, we are not to belittle (avambhanaŋ) others when we fail. In this, in either case, rich wisdom makes a man happy. 3 More literally, subject to becoming and not becoming. 4 Cf. CII. 5 I.e., craving (taṇhā), who sews life on to life (Bud. Psy., p. 278). 6 This last (metri causá) from the Commentary: anabhibhavaniyato. 7 See ver. 661, n. 8. ----